Man sentenced to 60 years in prison for using fake Facebook profile to lure 13-year-old girl for sex

A man will spend many years behind bars for using a fake Facebook profile to lure girls for sex.

28-year-old Justin Walling of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was given a very long prison sentence because he was already a convicted sex offender when he committed the crimes.

Walling was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for sexual offenses against a minor.

According to court documents, Walling used a fake name and befriended a 13-year-old girl on Facebook.

He pretended to be a man named Justin Blade, in order to conceal his sex offender status according to the prosecutor’s office.

The girl told police that she was lonely and was happy to have a friend. So when Walling asked her to sent nude photos of herself, she agreed.

One two occasions, Walling picked the child up and took her to his home in Lowell, where they had sex.

Walling was convicted of enticement of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, receiving child pornography and committing the crimes while registered as a sex offender.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Sanford was seeking a sentence of life in prison, saying that Walling’s first sex offense happened when he was 14.

“Outside of the time he was incarcerated, he has not gone more than two years without facing criminal allegations for re-offending against minors,” Sanford said.

Defense attorney Paul Mitchell did not agree. He argued that a life sentence would be excessive.

He did acknowledge that his client has a “bad record,” but he added that he does not have a history of violence.

U.S. District Judge Maloney sentenced walling to 60 years in prison. The judge said the ruling was necessary to protect the public because Walling is a predator who exploited a vulnerable victim while she was a minor.